History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Rev, Mr. Bronson relini|uislied the iiastorate of the ( hurch in 1793, after which, during live years, they wen- probably without a jiastur. .\iiiong those who ministered to the churcli during this period were Ib'vs. Daniel Wildman, .lustus Hull, and- I-'lias Lee. The King Street (lastors. Revs. Fim h and Bulkly, were also accustomed to visit and encourage the new interest. I'lie name of Rev. .Tnstus Hull deserves special niriition. lie was then a young man of uiinsual mental vigor and ministerial gift. He dispensed the Word with great power, and liis service was long kept in fresh remembrance. When, sulisequently, the cullege-bred preacdiers came among them, the old people felt, in smne in- stances no doubt without reason, that while the col- lege anil seminary had given polish and stronger grasp (if truth, their graduates had lost the freshness and convincing energy of their predecessors. When ,1 preci-e yiiung man read an elaborate discourse to thciii the remark used to be made, " lirotlur II ill would take otf his coat and beat that." In the year Utl.'^. Rev. ISennett Pepper, then a licen- liate, came to Miry Brook, He ]ireaclied from that time until November, 1S(I7, without ordination, at which time he was ordained to the gospel ministry, ;ind continued his services to the diurch. On the occasion of the ordination Rev. Nathan Bidkly was designated to give tlie charge, Rev. .lacob St. .lohn to make the ordaining jiraycr. Rev. Daniel Wildman to preach the sermon, and Rev. Ezra Fountain to make the concluding prayer. The churches of Franklin, Carmel, North Salem, Bedford, Milton, First Dan- bury, Newtown, and Bristol were represented in the council. About the year l.Sll3 the chnrdi was called In pass through a season of trial and darkness, growing out of an attempt to modify the accepted artiides of faith. The original articles, bearing date of .Ian. 24, 17',I5, as to their subject-matter and form of statement, are not ditferent in any essential partiiailar from those now received by the church. The records do not show the name of the mover of the proposed idiange. The new .arlicles proposed were, however, rijeetcd. They as- serted that Christians should be unlike the world even ill " politeness of behavior," forgetting that the very term "gentleman" owed its (irigiii to Christianity. They contained erroneous ductrines in the statement, " Wo believe that civil governineiil is by providence and permission, and not of divine origin or appoint- 212 HISTORY OF FAiaFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. mcnt, and that we find ncitluT precept nor example for the disciple voluntarily filling oftice in earthly states." It reflects credit upon the little church that they recorded their faith in the refinins; influences of our holy religion, and in the truth that "the powers that he are ordained of frod," by rejeetin}r these in- novating articles and adhering to their original stand- ards of faith and practice. In the early part of Mr. Pepper's ministry there were large accessions to the church. This period is the first revival season succeeding the outpouring of the Spirit in which the churcli had its origin. Shortly i)receding the ordination in 1S07 some im- provement-s'werc made in the meeting-house. The side walls were jdastered, a railing ahd stair made for the gallery, and the floors were nailed down. A better ]>uli>it was also constructed, and new seats were introduced with backs to them. Mr. Pepper's pastorate closed in 1809. At one period during his connection with the church his conduct was considered unbecoming. But on the whole his nunistry was a success. One difficulty arose during this time on account of the course taken by Kli frregory, who had been made a deacon in 1806. Deacon Ciregory was opposed to a distinctive minis- terial order, who should appropriate all the time allotted to the service of the sanctuary on the Lord's day. He claimed that God, having called diflerent gifts into the Church, they should have expression, without regard to, or rather ignoring, any other pastor or teacher. He a-sserted in addition that any male member of the church might with pro]>riety be ap- pointed to administer the ordinances in the absence of a settled minister. He objected to the payment of a salary to a minister, claiming that the support of those who labored in behalf of the church would be contributed by free-will ofl'erings of the members. These opinions were disai)i)roved of by a majority, and, Deacon Gregory still tenaciously adhering to them, a council of churches was called, which coun- cil convened June 3, 1807. The council did not coin- cide with Deacon Gregory's views, and psissed resolu- tions not ae<'eptable to him. They were accepted by the church, and he was excluded. The resignation of ^[r. Pe|)per was followed by another period of destitution, the church depending on supplies for about four years, until May, 1813, when Rev. Oliver Tuttle, a licentiate from IJristol, Conn., was called to the pastorate. His ordination took ])lace in May, 1814. Towards the end of the year 181.') " a reformation broke out in the community." It marks the second revival season of the history of the church. Deep seriousness pervaded the hearts of many who were out of Christ, which issued in a transformation of heart and life. Mr. Tattle's ministry extended over a period of nine years, from 1813«to 1822. In .Vugust of the latter year he resigned his charge ;nid ninowd to Meredith, N. Y. During his pastorate Deacon Peter Barnum was baptized into the fellowship of the church. He, with Deacon Benjamin Amliler, was baptized the same date, .July 28, ISlfi. Timothy Weed and Thomas Wildman were elected deacons Dec. 13, 181ti. George Benedict was baptized by Mr. Tuttle, Sept. 21, 1817. Some statistias of the membership of the church at this date may be of interest. From the minutes of the Union Baptist As- sociation, which convened at Danbury in 1817, it ap- pears that the membership of the church was then seventy-eight. In 1818 it was seventy. In 1820 there was a marked decrease, the reported number being fifty-six. ' George Benedict wa.s licensed to preach the gospel on the 12th of May, 1822. In August of the following year he was ordained as pastor of the church. His eminent gifts in prayer, exhortation, and Christian conversation are testified to by a cloud of witnesses in this and other churches which enjoyed his minis- trations. Mr. Benedict resigned the pastoral charge of the church in May, 1831, to accept a call from the church then worshiping at the corner of North and Forsyth Streets, New York, now known as the Stan- ton Street Baptist Cliurch. The labors of Mr. Benedict were very successful in New York. Nearly twelve hundred persons were baptized by him, and nearly as many funerals were attended, during his ministry in the city, extending from 1831 to Oct. 28, 1848, at which time he passed away in the calm triumphs of faith. The scri|>ture employed by Rev. Dr. Cone upon the occasion of his funeral was an epitome of his character and life : " He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith ; and much people were added to the Lord." Dec. 7, 1823, Peter TSarnum was elected deaenn of the church. The mcnd)ership liad increa.sed fpim fifty-six, reported in 1820, to one hundred. During Mr. Benedict's ministry, ,\ug. 31, 1823, Ed- ward C. Ambler was baptized. On the same day John Jennings and James St. John received the ordiinmce. Mr. .\mbler subsequently entered the ministry, and was ordained at New Milford, Conn., Oct. 1, 1840. He luis since served the following churches as pastor: New Milford, Conn.; Fislikill, Patterson, and Pleii-sant Valley, N. Y. ; Mount Bethel, Millington, Westville, Woodstown, and Columbus, N. J. He was appointed chaplain of the Sixty-sev- enth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers during the first year of the Rebellion, and filled the position with great eflicicncy until compelled to resign from the ef- fects of imprisonment and exposure. His services on the field during the war, and those of his wife in the hospital, deserve the grateful remembrance of all. .Mr. .\nibler, after the war, wius for a time pa.stor of the Baptist church at Stanford, N. Y., but afterwards returned to Danbury, and has since supjiliol the pul- pits of the King Street and Mill Plain churches. Rev. John Jennings, wlm w:is niiivi-d into meni- DANBURY. 213 bersliip at tlie saiiic time with 'Sir. Aiiililt'r, was licensed to jircaeli .luiir 17, lS2i;, niiil was (nilninid at Beverly, Mass., wliieli was his first remihn- |iast(irate. He was suhseijueiitly st'ttleil at (irattun, Worcester, and J'lteliburg, Mass, He left the hitter phice and served tlie American Tract ^ncicty I'ur simie years. Afterwards he became pastor of the Ba)itist ehnrcli in AVestfield, Ma.ss., and there continued until his death, wdiieh oeeurrecl some five years a,;;o. During the hitter jiart of Jfr. ISerieilict's ministry the subject of tlie removal of the location of the meeting-house was discussed, the sei'ond .generation feeling that a more central location should be chosen, reasonin.ir that tlu' church must follow the people, and the Word of lAt'v be dispensed where the streams of population have their confluence. These ideas pre- vailed, and in the year 1S2!I the foundations of a new hou.se were laid on Deer Hill. A lot sixty by Ibrty feet was donated to the society by Peter'Audjler. A neat and convenient building, with gallery, steeple, and bell, was erected, and was dedicated t^ejit. 2S, 1S.'51, the Rev. Tlnnnas Lareomb preaching the dedicatory sermon. In July of tlie follnwing year Mr. Larcondi was called to the pa.storate. A general revival was ]'revailing in the church at the time, and eleven eon- verts were baptized the first .Sabbath of the month following his settlement. ^Ir. Larcomli resigned the pastoral charge in the early ]iart of the yiar IH'V.i. He removed to Saugerties, X. Y., ami iVom tlience to I'hiladelphia, where for a numlicr of years he con- tinued his usefulness. He has entered upon his rest.